So-called production printing is known, wherein a large volume of documents for business use is printed and bound. (See Patent Document 1, for example). Patent Document 1 discloses a printing system which makes it possible to notify a user of whether post-processing is available by taking into account the whole printing system.
In the production printing, a printing process is often handled as a workflow. Opening of such a printing workflow is being promoted. The opening makes it possible for software (a below-described workflow application) and printing equipment units of the respective companies to describe the setting of a print job in a main printing process, etc., in common description schemes. A standard format called a JDF (Job Definition Format) is known as a format which describes the whole printing workflow processes.
The printing workflow processes include various processes such as creation of a document and content, specification of a printing method, printing, post-processing, etc. While these respective processes are carried out by various workflow applications and printing equipment units, the JDF makes it possible to perform collaboration among the printing equipment units, printing process management, etc., regardless of the differences among manufacturers of the workflow applications and the printing equipment units.